Tracing emeralds' origins could foil smugglers

A TECHNIQUE that reveals where an emerald was mined could help bring smuggling of the gems under control. The method could also give teeth to a gem-control initiative in Colombia, where the government is struggling to regulate the country's lucrative emerald industry.

Unlike rubies and diamonds, emeralds are not normally considered "conflict" gemstones, jewels that help to fund the illegal purchase of weapons. And no country that produces emeralds is under international sanctions on its exports. The emerald trade has, however, been linked to illegal drug trafficking and paramilitary groups in Colombia and other regions where the gems are mined, including Afghanistan.

Emeralds are also mined in Africa, Russia and Brazil, but smuggling is a particular problem in Colombia, partly because its emeralds' reputation for quality ensures they sell for almost twice as much as similar gems mined elsewhere. Buying foreign emeralds and passing them off as Colombian is also ...

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